savage

¹ American  

[sav-ij] / ˈsæv ɪdʒ /

adjective

1. fierce, ferocious, or cruel; untamed.

   savage beasts.

   Synonyms:

   bloodthirsty, fell, feral, wild

   Antonyms:

   mild

2. Offensive. relating to or being a preliterate people or society regarded as uncivilized or primitive.

3. enraged or furiously angry, as a person.

4. unpolished; rude.

   savage manners.

   Antonyms:

   cultured

5. wild or rugged, as country or scenery.

   savage wilderness.

   Synonyms:

   uncultivated, rough

   Antonyms:

   cultivated

6. Archaic. uncultivated; growing wild.

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noun

1. a fierce, brutal, or cruel person.

2. a rude, boorish person.

   Synonyms:

   oaf, churl

3. Disparaging and Offensive. a member of a preliterate people or society regarded as uncivilized or primitive.

verb (used with object)

savaged, savaging

1. to assault and maul by biting, rending, goring, etc.; tear at or mutilate.

   numerous sheep savaged by dogs.

2. to attack or criticize thoroughly or remorselessly; excoriate.

   a play savaged by the critics.

3. to greatly weaken, damage, or harm.

   The age of automation and globalization, with companies searching for lower wages overseas, has savaged organized labor.

Savage ² American  

[sav-ij] / ˈsæv ɪdʒ /

noun

1. Michael Joseph, 1872–1940, New Zealand statesman and labor leader: prime minister 1935–40.

2. Richard, 1697?–1743, English poet.

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savage ¹ British  

/ ˈsævɪdʒ /

adjective

1. wild; untamed

   savage beasts of the jungle

2. ferocious in temper; vicious

   a savage dog

3. uncivilized; crude

   savage behaviour

4. (of peoples) nonliterate or primitive

   a savage tribe

5. (of terrain) rugged and uncultivated

6. obsolete far from human habitation

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noun

1. a member of a nonliterate society, esp one regarded as primitive

2. a crude or uncivilized person

3. a fierce or vicious person or animal

verb

1. to criticize violently

2. to attack ferociously and wound

   the dog savaged the child

Savage ² British  

/ ˈsævɪdʒ /

noun

1. Michael Joseph. 1872-1940, New Zealand statesman; prime minister of New Zealand (1935-40)

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Related Words

See cruel.

Other Word Forms

• half-savage adjective
• half-savagely adverb
• presavage adjective
• quasi-savage adjective
• quasi-savagely adverb
• savagedom noun
• savagely adverb
• savageness noun
• semisavage adjective
• unsavage adjective
• unsavagely adverb
• unsavageness noun

Etymology

Origin of savage

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English adjective savage, saveage, sauvage, salvage, from Old French sauvage, salvage, savage, Anglo-French sawage, from Medieval Latin salvāticus, for Latin silvāticus, equivalent to silv(a) “woods” + -āticus adjective suffix; noun derivative of the adjective

Explanation

A polar bear in a zoo might look like an adorable giant stuffed animal, but if you met a hungry one in its native environment, it would seem more savage — wild and fierce — than cute. Describing an animal as savage means that it is true to its wild, ferocious nature, but if you describe a person or the actions of a person as savage, it means "cruel" or "brutal." A place can also be described as savage if it's untamed, uninhabitable, and unwelcoming. When savage takes the form of a noun, it means "a brutal person," and when it's a verb it means "to attack ferociously." Any way you use it, savage is uncivilized and violent.

Example Sentences

I knew the rough distances of the stages and the distance between aid stations, but we were out here for a primal, even savage experience, and sometimes the distances were off.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

She is used to tough questions - but nothing quite so savage and personal as this.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

Fears that artificial intelligence products will butcher the business models of software-as-a-service companies has caused savage selling in their stocks.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 13, 2026

“We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2026

Across the United States, millions of Americans were glued to their televisions for the evening news reports, and stunned at the savage fighting they saw on their screens.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

Related Words

• atrocious
• barbarous
• bloody
• brutal
• cold-blooded
• destructive
• ferocious
• fierce
• harsh
• inhuman
• inhumane
• merciless
• murderous
• relentless
• ruthless
• sadistic
• unrelenting
• violent